Way back in May of 2001, a fictional witch named Prudence "Prue" Halliwell was killed off in the Season 3 finale of the WB's Charmed. The onscreen death came amid tabloid rumblings of Prue portrayer Shannen Doherty's bad on-set attitude, and rumors that Doherty didn't get along with costar Alyssa Milano. In the Season 4 premiere, a new Charmed sister appeared in Doherty's place: Rose McGowan was added to the cast as Paige Mathews, half-sister to the two remaining leads.

Fifteen years later, McGowan has publicly reached out to Doherty, who is currently battling breast cancer that has since spread to her lymph nodes, to acknowledge the era in which McGowan feels they were pitted against each other.

"We have a funny history. As young women we were pitted against each other for society's pleasure. The rules of Hollywood engagement brainwashed into us were truly vile. The men & brainwashed women in our business made it so we couldn't be friends, I regret that," McGowan wrote in an Instagram caption for an illustration mean to be the two of them.

The Grindhouse actress points to both Hollywood's "Beige Brained White Dudes in Charge" and the feud-manufacturing media as sources of pressure, and of any possible bad blood.

"We were cast in this weird fake reality show where we were supposed to be enemies," she continued. "I resented it greatly. I regret not being awake enough to articulate this to you at the time. Fear was drilled into me from day one in this town & you were the barometer by which my behavior was judged. I was under a microscope, one false move and I'd be branded 'difficult' just like you. I think we all know what happens when girls here get out of line."

Though Rose tells Shannen that "the Bad Girl Shaming [she] received at the hands of the media was merciless," and admits that "you cast a long shadow over my life," McGowan ultimately considers the two kindred spirits.

"Shannen, we didn't know it yet, but we were the good ones. Two boss young women that scared the 'faux-liberals in provincial Hollywood, for that sin we got burned at the media stake, egged on by Hollywood who believe the press they start. There was a strongly inferred threat of me being blacklisted in tv as I'd been in film. Instead of understanding that we were a different breed, they tried to crush us, but they couldn't. I send you strength."